Background — Have you always wanted to write? Why?
I think it was an instinct. I found a one-page story from when I was eight. I just love telling stories and I’m so happy that I now have a wider audience beyond my circle of friends.
Why write for young readers?
For me, some of the most exciting writing today seems to be happening in YA, especially in fantasy and science fiction. When I read the work of Suzanne Collins and Catherine Fisher, I realized that I could just tell my stories and not write “down” to a younger reader. That was an exciting revelation. I’m already discovering readers of all ages who relate to Starters. But that said, some bloggers have been pleased to note that I don’t have any elements that would be inappropriate for a young reader. My first young beta reader was 12. I thank her in the acknowledgments.
Do you have any rituals? Do you write all day?
I keep various happy totems by my computer, these are little gifts from my husband or friends—charm bracelets or a little figurine to inspire me. After dealing with social media, I do write all day and for the last month also most of the night. I’ll try to catch up on sleep this summer!
Where did the idea for “Starters” come from?
I was trying to get a flu shot a few years ago and there wasn’t enough vaccine. It was only available for the infirm, the young and the elderly. I thought what if this was a deadly disease and all that were left were the most vulnerable?
How much research was involved?
I did some reading about the brain and then set it aside when I started writing.
How long did it take you to write?
Roughly nine months with three months on and off tweaking.
How does “Starters” differ as a published book from your first idea for it?
I didn’t know the kind of fascinating character that The Old Man would become.
The dystopian/sci-fi genre is starting to feel saturated. What makes “Starters” stand out?
People tell me they find it fresh. I do like to keep the reader guessing and present them with a world and concept that feel different. I love playing with different levels of reality where I have two characters talking and at least one does not really know who the other one is.
What would you be more likely to do rent a body or become a donor?
The only fun is in renting! It might be wild to be Shaun White and look down at all the snow while I’m up in the air.
It feels like the young people in your book are more adult than the older ones. Was that a conscious decision or did it come about naturally?
Thank you for noticing. It was pretty much built into the premise. I wanted the reader to identify with Callie most of all and stories thrive on conflict. So while I do have good Enders (Blake’s great grandmother, Lauren, others), the majority are there to give Callie trouble. So from her point of view, she’s more rational and stable.
This is your first published book, but is it your first novel?
Like most writers, I have closet manuscripts. I wrote two, one YA and one adult. Each got me agents but no sale. I see some of the same themes in them.
How has your writing evolved from when you first started until now?
I’ve developed more world-building skills, even though I still love the story movement and peak emotional moments best of all.
How far are you on the second book, “Enders”?
The first draft of Enders will be turned in right before I go on tour. And I’ll be rewriting while on tour. This has been an accelerated publishing schedule so that Enders can come out in December of this year.
What do you hope readers bring away from your book?
That no matter how bad things may seem, if you hang in there and be smart, it will get better. You can not only survive, but thrive. And also that what you are on the inside is much more important that what you look like on the outside.
Did you have a favorite book or book that really resonated with you as a young reader?
The Hobbit.